Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 78 Assistant Lin

Looking at history, Lin Ran felt that everything was extremely strange. Even Cooper could do such a cruel thing as flying an F-106 fighter jet at a low altitude over the NASA building at Cape Canaveral.

NASA had clearly stopped Cooper from carrying out the mission and replaced it with Shepard, but in the end it still decided to continue with Cooper.

Even if America didn't demand discipline anymore, it would be impossible under normal circumstances, with such low requirements.

Therefore, Lin Ran persuaded James Webb to go to Cape Canaveral Space Launch Center with him.

In addition to going to see Freedom 7, he also wanted to find a suitable reason to tell James Webb his speculation.

You can't possibly suspect Shepard of being ill without even meeting him, right?

Back in April, after Lin Ran and James Webb visited Cape Canaveral together, Lin Ran told him his observations:

"I think something is wrong with Colonel Alan Shepard."

James Webb said solemnly: “I feel it too.

He was a little unresponsive during the conversation."

As a former lawyer and financial officer, James Webb's observation of details is unquestionable. When he shook hands with Shepard, he noticed something unusual about Shepard.

Lin Ran continued, “I suspect that not only is there something wrong with Freedom 7, but Colonel Sheppard himself was also carefully selected.

Because we want to change the loose status quo of NASA, which will affect the current structure of NASA, they are willing to pay the price of the failure of Freedom 7 and the lives of the astronauts in order to give us a shock. "

After that, James Webb returned to Washington to report. With the assistance of an IA, he first found Colonel Shepherd's personal physician, who revealed that Colonel Shepherd had consulted him about his physical discomfort before being selected and how to cover it up during the physical examination.

Then, he took the private doctor's consultation records and found the original physical examination report of Alan Shepard from the doctor at Hermann Hospital in Houston.

It clearly states: Alan Shepard suffers from Meniere's disease.

The doctor who cooperated in the fraud was also taken away for questioning.

Just two months into his job at NASA, James Webb already feels more exhausted than his two years in Washington, D.C.

By the way, we are lucky to have Lin Ran. If Lin Ran was not there, Freedom 7 would have been blamed for the failure.

From the perspective of James Webb and the White House, Lin Ran made great contributions.

For the White House, Lin Ran has successfully fulfilled their original expectation: they hope Lin Ran can break the deadlock at NASA.

As for why NASA did not cause any more trouble in the original time and space, it was because James Webb increased NASA's budget from $5 million to $10 billion in just one year.

James Webb's deep connections in Washington can help NASA obtain research funding, which has greatly reduced internal opposition.

Lin Ran wanted to gain prestige within NASA and make the position of special assistant for space exploration a position of real power. However, he had no way to bring direct benefits to NASA like James Webb, so his method was to take an unconventional approach.

In ancient times, Newton was even known as Sir Newton. In the last century, Yang Zhenning and Li Zhengdao fell out over authorship, and in this century, Qiu Chengtong and Tian Gang also had a big fight.

When scientists fight for power and profit, they are not only not inferior to politicians, but even more so.

After confirming that Shepard was ill, James Webber's credibility in Lin Ran's speculation that there was a problem with Freedom 7 also increased significantly.

It was based on this medical report that James Webb was able to gain Kennedy's support by announcing the replacement of Alan Shepard twelve hours before takeoff.

Because for this White House, this would be a great opportunity for them to thoroughly clean up NASA. Also, for Kennedy, this would be a great opportunity to cut ties with the past NASA.

This White House is not responsible for past NASA failures.

At the Cape Canaveral press conference, Kennedy waved his hands with an impassioned look:
"We must keep moving forward, for the advancement of science, for the honor of our nation, and for the future of mankind.

NASA has too many problems, so the White House will set up a special investigation team headed by Vice President Lyndon Johnson to conduct a detailed investigation into NASA's past problems.

Including this incident, and every NASA rocket launch failure in the past.

I solemnly pledge that the administration will thoroughly investigate NASA, severely punish those responsible, and will not allow any conspiracy to hinder our great goal of space exploration.

Facing the failure of Freedom 7, which was a failure of NASA in the past, in the future under the leadership of James Webb and Randolph Lin, NASA will only usher in one success after another.

Failure is a test on our way forward, not a reason to retreat.

Despite the setbacks we have faced, I firmly believe that America will not be defeated by difficulties.

The space race between us and the Soviet Union has just begun, and it is far from being concluded!
Finally, I pledge that before this decade is out, America will achieve its goal of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth."

Kennedy was speaking passionately on the stage, trying to offset the failure of the manned space flight and the serious problems within NASA by announcing that America would land a man on the moon, when a gunshot was faintly heard outside.

Then the atmosphere on the whole scene became tense.

A soldier in an Air Force uniform trotted up to Kennedy and whispered in his ear:

"Mr. President, Robert Gilruth, the director of Ground Control, has just committed suicide."

After learning the content of Kennedy's speech at the control center, Robert Gilruth was terrified and committed suicide with the Smith & Wesson M29 revolver he was carrying.

Alan Shepard was the astronaut he immediately identified as the first manned spaceflight pilot.

Kennedy immediately announced the news.

The reporters present here are already numb because the density of news today is already high enough.

Every reporter who was fortunate enough to be at the scene felt that they had gained a lot.

If you want to report positive news, you can report that Kennedy announced the moon landing.

If you want to report negative news, there is a lot to write about, from NASA's deliberate mischief, to Robert Gilruth's suicide, to the crash of Freedom 7.

If you want to report a legendary story, Lin Ran’s prediction is also a good angle.

Unlike White House bureaucrats, reporters cannot take a special plane back to Washington at any time.

Everyone can only wait for public transportation here.

Besides, the reporters did not want to go back so soon, as the news had already been faxed back to the newspaper office, and they could no longer contain their eagerness to discuss the matter.

Reporters even found a campsite around the Cape Canaveral launch site, planning to have an open-air barbecue and gather in groups of three or four to chat.

As for the manuscript, just wait for the editors at the headquarters to write it.

(End of this chapter)